"Kathleen Ann Goonan - The Bridge" - читать интересную книгу автора (Goose Mother)

possible that she was from the future, trying to live in what was left of the
past, for reasons which might spell money for me. As one of those who is
quite fond of the past, I’d clung to the sinking ship for far too long. I didn’t
like the view over there on the future side.

Or maybe I was just a sad old loser too stupid to take a chance.

I cradled the Scotch between both hands. “How can I help you?”

“I need you to get my mother and sister out of copyright. I want the
rights to them.”

“They are ... some kind of program?”

She nodded, a tragic look in her dark eyes. Her nose was slightly
crooked, which gave her a charming air of imperfection.

“I think that you need a lawyer.”

She shook her head. “No. They can’t do anything for me. I went to
one and she told me what needs to happen.”

“Which is?”

“They need to be out in the world, living on their own, without being
formally accused of being artificial, for five years.”

“That’s a long time.”

“I want them now!”

“Where are they?”

“They were killed in a car crash four years ago. But I’m getting ahead
of myself. Many years ago, my father had programs of us made so that we
could be duplicated.”

“That would have been illegal.”

“At that time, yes.”

“It still is. But it was done fairly often, it seems.”

“Well. Anyway, it seems that my father has fallen in love with another
woman. I attend the University of Virginia. It’s in Charlottesville.”

“I know.” It was about two hours away, a prestigious university. “And?”

“I came home for a visit last week, and found that my mother and
sister were...” She bowed her head, covered her face with her gloved